How do I go live with Mixcloud?

Equipment

Before you start your first Live broadcast on Mixcloud, you'll need to set up your hardware and software to allow you to stream.

You'll need:

A subscription to Mixcloud Pro
A computer capable of live-streaming
A steady internet connection
- We recommend a minimum upload speed of 3mbps
- Use a wired connection for better stability
Streaming software compatible with RTMP streaming
- We recommend OBS because it's free and easy to set up.
- Other suggestions for streaming software include Gramrphone (audio only), Restream, XSplit , Streamlabs OBS, Wirecast, vMix, and Lightstream.

Optional:

A webcam or other visuals
Additional hardware
- Depending on your setup, you may benefit from including extra gear, such as headphones, microphones, a mixer, or an audio interface or soundcard
- For advice on different setups based on the content you're live-streaming, check out the Creator Resources on our blog

Setting up your streaming software

The recommended settings for streaming on Mixcloud Live are:

Audio quality: 320k
Video quality: 720p to 1080p
Bitrate: 2500kbps to 3500kbps and CBR, not VBR
Frames Per Second: 30fps
Visual ratio: 16:9
Keyframe interval: 2s

If you're using OBS, you can find more information in our set-up guide here.

If you're using other streaming software, we recommend checking out the developer's resources for set-up advice.

Connecting to Mixcloud

After choosing your broadcasting software and configuring your stream, connect the software to Mixcloud Live using the following steps.

Click on Create at the top of Mixcloud and select Go Live.
Add your stream information

Adding a name, description, and tags for your stream gives your fans insights into your content and helps new viewers decide to join your stream.

Your stream will be named "[Your username] live!" by default or if you don't enter a name in this field. You can set up a custom name to personalize your stream.

Once you've set up your stream information for the first time, it will be stored as the new default for your future streams.

Please note that you cannot change the name, description or tags once you've gone live. If you'd like to change any of the information after you've started streaming, please stop your stream temporarily.
Choose who can see your stream

You can use this toggle to decide if you want your stream to be public or unlisted (private). You can read more about unlisted streams here.
Add the stream key and server URL to your streaming software
Copy-paste this information into the corresponding fields of your streaming software.
Your stream key is re-usable and we recommend you keep this private to avoid others streaming via your Mixcloud profile.

If you reset your stream key for security reasons, you may need to update it in your streaming software before you go live again.
Start streaming via your chosen software
Your stream will connect and you'll see it on your Mixcloud Live page.
Share your stream
Let your fans know you're going live so they can tune in! Click the Share Show button and copy the link to your live-stream so you can post it on social media.
The URL of your stream will always be mixcloud.com/live/[your username], so it's easy to remember and share in advance and in your social media bios.